Grilled chicken with zest

This wonderfully, easy recipe comes straight from the grill to you with a delicious burst of fresh citrus flavor and the tang of Carolina barbecue sauce.

You can substitute any sauce you desire, I, however, prefer the vinegar-based Carolina sauces and they go well with the honey and addition of citrus juices and zest. Honey, whether it be orange or plain, adds to the overall sweetness of the final sauce when added during the last stages of cooking.

You don't want to add it early since the sugar will caramelize and burn on the grill when you add the chicken to the grill. Make sure you watch your cooking times, if you use a chicken breast that is thick on one side and thin on the end, then you will have to adjust your times accordingly so as to not overcook or undercook the meat.

-- Scott C. Anderson is associate food service director and chef with Shepherd University dining services in Shepherdstown, W.Va., and Chef Ambassador to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

In a large metal bowl combine barbecue sauce, orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice and honey. Separate into two 1-cup portions and set aside. Place chicken breasts into orange juice and then into the fridge for at least 1 hour to marinate.

Remove chicken from the marinade, season with salt and pepper, then place on a preheated grill. Grill on each side, turning to make sure to get the grill marks on the chicken. When you flip the chicken for the last time, brush with the reserved barbecue sauce mixture and continue cooking until the chicken is not longer pink and registers 160 degrees. Toss out any remaining sauce used to brush chicken.

Pull off grill and allow chicken to sit, tented under foil for at least 5 minutes to reabsorb internal juices and check for an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve with reserved sauce that was not used to brush on chicken.